A press brake has a massive table on which at least two robust C-frames are arranged. On the topside an upper beam is arranged between the C-frames. A bottom tool (the die) is arranged on the table or lower beam and a top tool (the punch) is arranged on the upper beam. The upper and lower beam are movable relatively to each other. The upper beam is generally movable by two synchronised hydraulic cylinders which move the top tool and the bottom tool towards each other and from each other. By placing a workpiece between the two tools, it is possible to bend the workpiece with such a press brake. At least the upper tools are arranged in a clamping system to clamp the tools and prevent them from shifting when the press brake is used or even to prevent falling out of the tool.
American-style tooling is generally made in a specific length necessary for forming a specific workpiece. Such tooling comprises a safety tang, which is shifted sideways in a correspondingly shaped groove in the upper beam. In order to be able to shift the tool it is necessary to have sufficient play of the tool in the groove. Before the tool can be clamped in the clamping system, which can be part of the upper beam, it has to be aligned to the upper beam and be brought into abutment. As the tools are generally very heavy, this aligning and bringing to abutment can not be done by hand. Therefor the upper beam is lowered, such that the upper tool makes contact with the lower tool. In this way the upper tool is pressed into abutment with the upper beam.
This method of arranging the upper tool into the upper beam is time consuming and the risk exists that the tools get damaged because they are not fully correctly aligned.
There is a tendency to use the American Style tooling for smaller batches of products. This causes the disadvantages of the exchanging of the American style tooling to become more prominent.
It is an object of the invention to provide a combination of a press brake clamping system and at least a press brake tool, in which these disadvantages are reduced or even not present anymore.